Valve operating device in gas lighter for smokers



1955 KENlCHl SAKAMOTO 3,6

VALVE OPERATING DEVIGE IN GAS LIGHTER FOR SMOKERS Filed Oct. 14, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 4 f j Z? 1965 KENICHI SAKAMOTO 3,213,547

VALVE OPERATING DEVICE IN GAS LIGHTER FOR SMOKERS Filed Oct. 14, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 26, 1965 KENICHI SAKAMOTO 3,213,647

VALVE OPERATING DEVICE IN GAS LIGHTER FOR SMOKERS Filed Oct. 14, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 iZ f;

1965 KENICHI SAKAMOTO 3,

VALVE OPERATING DEVICE IN GAS LIGHTER FOR SMOKERS Filed Oct. 14, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F! E. 5'. i 15 7 2o" 3 7 203 1: z/a 2a 2? 51 av 16 57 12 2f q k I 111 United States Patent 3,213,647 VALVE OPERATING DEVICE IN GAS LIGHTER FOR SMOKERS Kenichi Sakamoto, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Mansei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kawaguchi-shi, Japan Filed Oct. 14, 1963, Ser. No. 315,854

Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 16, 1962,

37/ 60,333 13 Claims. (Cl. 677.1)

The present invention relates to a gas lighter for smokers, and particularly to gas lighters of improved ignition and valve operation devices. In a gas lighter for smokers, a valve is disposed in a fuel gas tank and when the fuel gas is to be ignited, the valve is first opened to allow the fuel gas to spout from the fuel tank to a burner and then an ignition wheel, which is normally urged against a flint, is manually rotated to thereby generate sparks due to the frictional action between the Wheel and flint. The sparks are utilized for igniting the fuel gas which is spouting out of the burner.

However, one drawback of known gas lighters is that as soon as the lid of the lighter is open, the fuel gas spouts out of the burner before the ignition operation is initiated.

Also, such known gas lighters are so designed that as soon as the operators finger has been removed from a valve operating device, the valve is allowed to close automatically and at the same time the gas ceases to spout, resulting in extinguishing of the flame.

According to the present invention, there is provided an improved gas lighter for smokers of the type in which the valve will not be open when the lid is open and, accordingly, the gas will not be allowed to spout. The valve is opened only after the ignition operation has been initiated or the ignition wheel has been rotated. Furthermore, even after the operators finger has been removed from the valve operating device at the completion of the ignition operation, the valve will not close and is maintained in its open position so that the fuel gas continues to spout out and burn. Additionally, as the lid which covers the ignition device is moved to its closed position, the valve is closed in response to the closing action of the lid, and accordingly, the gas spouting operation ceases and the flame is extinguished.

In the gas lighter of the present invention, the lid for covering the ignition device and the burner for operating the gas feeding valve are operatively connected to each other by means of a suitable transmission member, and when the lid is moved from the fully opened position to the original closed position, the transmission member for operaitng the valve is actuated in the mid course of the closing movements of the lid, whereby the burner is moved to close the valve and accordingly, the flow of the spouting ceases thereby to extinguish the flame.

Having briefly described the invention, a more detailed description is made below by reference to typical embodiments of the invention illustrated in the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertically cross-sectional side elevational View of a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown with the lid closed;

FIG. 1A is a vertical, cross sectional side elevational view of the upper half portion of the embodiment of FIG. 1 shown with the lid opened and the ignition wheel depressed.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are fragmentary views showing the leaf spring of the valve operating device of the gas lighter of FIGS. 1 and 1A in different operative positions respectively in which FIG. 2 shows the leaf spring in a downwardly warped (valve closed) position 3,213,647 Patented Oct. 26, 1955 "ice while FIG. 3 shows the leaf spring in an upwardly warped (valve open) position;

FIG. 4 is a top plane view of the leaf spring of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional side elevation view of a modified embodiment of the present invention showing the lighter lid in closed position;

FIG. 6 is a vertical cross sectional side elevational view of a portion of the embodiment of FIG. 5 illustrating the lighter lid in its fully opened position;

FIG. 7 is similar to FIG.'6 but illustrates the lid in a partially opened condition; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view at an enlarged scale of the valve assembly of the embodiment as illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 showing the valve in the closed position.

Referring now to the preferred embodiments of the present invention illustrated in the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 to 4, an ignition wheel 1 is mounted by its shaft 13 for rotation in a bearing member 2 from which a tube 3 extends downwardly, and a flint 4 is frictionally fit with the tube 3.

The outer casing 5 of the gas lighter houses a fuel tank 7 therein and top cover plate 8 which partially covers the top of the fuel tank 7 is secured at the upper edge of the casing 5 so as to retain the tank 7 within the casing 5. The fuel tank 7 has a tube 9 vertically extending therethrough and a coil spring 10 is disposed within the tube 9 and the lower end of the spring 10 is held in place by means of a set screw 11 threaded into the tube 9. The upper end of the spring 10 supports the flint 4 through a member 12.

The coil spring 10 is adapted to extend upwardly so as to maintain the flint 4 in contact with the peripheral surface of the ignition wheel 1. Thus, when the ignition wheel 1 in contact with the flint 4 is turned, the frictional action between the ignition wheel 1 and flint 4 generates sparks.

The shaft 13 of the ignition wheel 1 extends through the vertically elongated slot 14 formed in the bearing 2 so that the shaft 13 may move vertically relative to the bearing 2. Therefore, when the ignition wheel 1 is depressed by a users finger, the ignition wheel 1 descends against the action of the spring 10 whereby the movement of the bearing 2 is transferred through a leaf spring transmitting member 6 to a burner 16 extending upwardly of a valve casing 15.

The parts which constitute the inner construction of the valve casing 15 are conventional ones and detailed explanation thereof will be omitted herein. The upper end of the burner 16 of the valve casing 15 extends upwardly through the center opening 17 of the top cover plate 8. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, the transmitting member 6 comprises a leaf spring. As more clearly shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the leaf spring 6 has a center opening in which the upper end of the burner 16 fits and the opposite end portions 6' and 6" of the leaf spring 6 extend through respective through bores 22, 22 formed in the upright supporting pieces 20 and 21 of the top cover plate 8 and the distance between the supporting pieces 20 and 21 is shorter than the length of the unsupported elastic intermediate portion of the leaf spring 6 so that the supporting pieces may act as pivot points for the pivotal movement of the spring so as to allow the leaf spring 6 to warp or flex up and down. Accordingly, when the lighter is not operated, since the ignition wheel 1 is in the raised position as shown with the full line in FIG. 1, the leaf spring 6 assumes the position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the ignition wheel 1 is depressed, the movement is transmitted to hearing 2. The bottom surface of bearing 2 contacts an end 6' of spring 6 and continued downward movement of the bearing causes the spring to warp in the reverse direction the position shown in FIG. 1A. That is, spring 6 is pivotally supported at the supporting pieces 20, 21 and, accordingly, the intermediate portion of the leaf spring 6 moves upwardly. The upward movement of the intermediate spring portion causes the burner 16 to be moved upwardly by the action of a compression spring 23 which is normally compressed by the leaf spring 6 as shown in FIG. 1 and allowed to extend when the leaf spring is forced to warp upwardly to the FIG. 1A position, and thus, the upward movement of the burner 16 in turn opens the valve whereby the fuel gas is allowed to spout out.

The top cover plate 8 is provided with an opening 24 and a bent supporting frame 27 is inserted within the opening 24 for vertical movement therein, an end 27 of said supporting frame 27 being adapted to latch a shaft 26 extending transversely of the lighter lid 25. The supporting frame 27 is provided with a small bore 28 in its leg portion for receiving one end of a coil spring 29 which is disposed under the top cover plate 8 whereby the supporting frame 27 is normally pulled downwardly. The supporting frame 27 is further provided with a small bore 30 in the vicinity of the upper end of its leg portion and the end 6" of the leaf spring 6 is received in the bore 30 whereby the supporting frame 27 is moved upwardly or downwardly as the leaf spring 6 is moved upwardly or downwardly. The upper portion of the supporting frame 27 bends backwardly and its semicircular bent portion 27' is formed so as to engage and latch the transverse shaft 26 of the lighter lid 25. Therefore, the lighter lid 25 is normally pulled downwardly by the action of the spring 29 and acts to seal the casing from the outside.

Extending from the underneath of the lid 25 is a leaf spring actuating cylindrical member or tube 31, and when the lid 25 is closed the fore end of the actuating member 31 pushes down the leaf spring 6 to assist the clastic warping action of the spring 6 in the opposite direction and at the same time closes the burner 16.

Since the supporting frame 27 engaging the lid shaft 26 is pulled downwardly by means of the coiled spring 29, the lid 25 normally seals the casing 5, but when the lid is opened, a portion 25' of the lower edge of the lid (right end portion in FIG. 1) slides along the top surface of the top cover plate 8 (toward the left direction in FIG. 1) so as to increase the distance from the cover plate 8 to the shaft 26 whereby the shaft 26 is raised against the action of the coil spring 29 which in turn raises the supporting frame 27. As the supporting frame rises the end 6" of the leaf spring 6 which is received within the bore 30 of the frame 27 is lifted upwardly, accordingly, and the intermediate portion of the leaf spring 6 is caused to warp downwardly and the burner 16 descends against the action of the spring 23 so as to block the gas passage whereby the flow of the gas effluent ceases.

The parts which constitute the inner construction of the valve casing may be of conventional types as hereinabove described, but in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 1A, the valve casing 15 comprises an elastic material adjusting seat 41 inserted in the gas passage 40, and an intermediate valve 42 movably disposed on the top of the seat 41 within the gas passage 40. The adjusting seat 41 has a deformable center adjusting bore 43 formed therein and the intermediate valve 42 also has a center gas bore 44 which communicates with the adjusting bore 43. The intermediate valve 42 is surrounded by an elastic packing 45 in such a manner that the lower edge of the intermediate valve 42 compresses the elastic adjusting seat 41 in the area around the center bore 43 thereof and the upper edge of the intermediate valve 42 is pressed by the lower end of an adjusting sleeve or cylinder 46 threaded into the valve casing 15 through the open top thereof. With the above arrangement, when the adjusting sleeve 46 is 4 turned in either direction by the manipulation of an adjusting handle 47, the magnitude of the compressive force which acts on the intermediate valve 42 may be varied whereby the small bore 43 of the adjusting seat 41 can be deformed in any desired manner and for instance, the length of the seat 41 can be extended or shortened and the diameter of the bore can be enlarged or decreased. A packing 48 is disposed around the lower end portion of the burner 16, and when the burner 16 descends by the downwardly warping action of the leaf spring 6, the packing 48 closes the gas bore 44 of the intermediate valve 42.

Referring now to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 as shown in these figures, the shaft 13 of the ignition wheel 1 extends through the vertically elongated slot 14 formed in the bearing 2 and movably supported therein the ignition wheel 1 is maintained in contact relation with the flint 4, and the contacting ignition wheel 1 and flint 4 are held in their raised position as shown with the full line in FIG. 5 by means of the spring 10 inserted within the tube 9 vertically extending through the fuel tank 7. The above arrangement is the same as in the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

The alternative embodiment is different from the embodiment of FIG. 1 in that the burner 16 of the valve casing 15 secured to the fuel tank 7 has a flanged head 16' at its upper end and the flanged head 16' extends upwardly through the center bore 24 in the top cover plate 8 covering the open top of the fuel tank 7, the flanged head 16' being connected on the opposite sides thereof with the bearing 2 and the transmitting means 6', respectively.

In this alternative embodiment, the transmitting member comprises a lever bar 6a instead of the leaf spring 6 in the foregoing embodiment of FIG. 1 and the lever bar 6a has a central bore 50 through which a supporting piece 20a which projects upwardly of the top cover plate 8 extends and the lever bas 6a acts as a lever with its pivot point at the supporting piece. One end portion of the lever bar 6a is provided with a bore 51 through which the depending tube 3 of the bearing 2 extends and the other end of the lever bar 6a is provided with a bore 52 through which the burner 16 extends. A washer 53 is inserted between the flanged head 16' and the lever bar 6a in the vicinity of the bore 52 so that the upward movement of the end of the lever adjacent the nozzle will be transmitted to the burner. Therefore, when the ignition wheel 1, is turned by a users finger and the bearing 2 descends, one end of the lever bar 6a is forced to descend by the descending bearing 2 while the other end of the lever bar 6a is raised so as to lift the burner 16 whereby the valve is opened to allow the combustible fuel gas to spout. A bearing 54 is provided on the top cover plate 8 on the side remote from the ignition wheel 1 and the bearing 54 has an obtuse-angled rocking latch plate 55 secured thereto and the vertical leg portion of the latch plate is provided with a bore 55 and a pawl 57 formed at the adjacent end of the lever bar 6a may come into and out of the bore 55. The leg portion of the latch plate 55 is normally forced into engagement with the adjacent end of the lever bar 6a by means of a spiral spring 56.

The lighter lid 25 in the alternative embodiment is substantially identical with that of the foregoing embodiment of FIG. 1 with respect to its construction and the way in which the lid is secured to the top cover plate 8. As shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, the top cover plate 8 is provided with a bore 24 through which a vertically movable supporting frame 27a extends and the supporting frame 27a is provided with a bore 28 in the vicinity of its lower end for receiving one end of a coiled spring 29 secured to the underneath of the top cover plate 8 to downwardly bias the supporting frame 27a. The supporting frame 27a is also provided with a bore 30 in the vicinity of its upper end which the adjacent end of the latch plate 55 is adapted to engage whereby the latch plate 55 is caused to rock as the supporting frame 27a moves up and down.

Extending laterally of the supporting frame 27a is an extension piece 61) having a semi-circular notch 61 in its bottom edge which the shaft 26 of the lighter lid 25 is adapted to engage whereby the lid 25 may be normally held in its closed state by the action of the spring 29.

With the above arrangement of the gas lighter, when the lighter is operated for ignition thereof, the lid 25 is first opened and then the ignition wheel 1 is turned by a finger of the user. The finger pressure acting on the wheel 1 pushes the bearing 2 down, and accordingly, the left end of the lever bar 6a (as seen in the direction of FIG. 5) is pushed down. Thereupon, the lever bar 6a is caused to pivot with its pivot point disposed at the point where the supporting piece 20a engages therewith and the other end of the lever bar 6a is raised. Thus, the burner 16 moves upwardly (as shown in FIG. 8) against the holding action of the spring 23 whereby the gas passage 44 is uncovered to allow the fuel gas to spout. When frame 27a is in the position shown in FIG. 6, the leg portion of the latch 55 is forced to move toward the lever bar 6a, and the latch pawl 57 enters into the latch plate bore 55'. After the pawl 57 has entered into the bore 55', even though the user releases this finger pressure from the ignition wheel 1 so as to allow the wheel 1 to return to its original position, the lever bar 6a will not return to its original position, and accordingly, the burner 16 may maintain its raised position thereby to allow the gas flow to continue to spout out. \IVhen the lighter lid 25 is rotated from its position shown in FIG. 6 to that shown in FIG 7 in order to close the lighter, the bottom edge of the lid 25' slides to the left along the upper surface of a leaf spring 62 overlaying the top cover plate 8 and in accordance with the sliding movement of the edge 25' the shaft 26 is Pushed upwardly by cam action. Thus, the latch plate 55 having its one end disposed within the supporting frame bore 30 is caused to rock as the supporting frame 27a moves upwardly. When the latch pawl 57 of the lever bar 6a comes out of the bore 55, the burner 16 is pulled downwardly by the spring 23 whereby the valve is again sealed and the lever bar also returns to its original position.

FIG. 8 shows in detail the construction of the valve mechanism employed in the embodiment of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 and in which the intermediate valve 42 having a gas passage 44 therein is frictionally inserted within the valve casing 15 and surrounded by a packing 45. An adjusting cylinder 46 is threaded into the valve casing 15 in contact with the upper surface of the intermediate valve 42 and the burner 16 having a packing 48 disposed at its lower end portion is inserted within the adjusting cylinder 46. The gas passage 44 of the intermediate valve 42 is normally sealed by means of the spring 23. When the lever bar 6a is raised the flanged head 16' of the burner 16 is pulled upwardly and accordingly, the burner 16 rises against the holding action of the spring 23 whereby the intermediate valve gas passage 44 is uncovered.

It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing descriptions and illustrations of typical embodiments of the invention, except as expressed hereinafter in the claims.

What claimed is:

1. In a gas lighter the combination comprising an outer casing incorporating a fuel tank, a lid, means pivotally securing said lid to said casing, a fuel feeding valve communicating with and mounted in said fuel tank, a burner operatively connected to said valve, a bearing member slidably mounted in said casing, an ignition wheel pivoted to said bearing member for sliding actuation of said bearing member during operation of said ignition wheel, and a valve operating member engaging said burner and cooperating with said bearing member and said lid pivoting means for effecting opening of said burner and valve assembly on sliding movement of said bearing member in response to actuation of said ignition wheel and for effecting closing of said burner and valve assembly 6 by said lid pivoting means as said lid is moved from ari-- open toward a closed position.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said valve operating member comprises a leaf spring having concave and convex equilibrium positions, means pivoting one end of said leaf spring proximate to said bearing member, means pivoting the other end of said leaf spring proximate to said lid pivoting means, one of saidequilibrium positions of said spring effecting closure of said burner and valve assembly, said other one of said equilibrium positions effecting opening of said burner and valve assembly, the pivotal movement of said one end of said leaf spring about said pivot support proximate to said bearing member causing said leaf spring to snap to the valve open equilibrium position, and the pivotal movement of said other end of said leaf spring about said pivot support proximate to said lid pivoting means causing said leaf spring to snap to the valve closed equilibrium position.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said valve operating member comprises a lever bar in engagement with said burner, a support pivot proximate to said bearing member and pivotally supporting said lever bar and latch means responsive to movement of said lid pivoting means for latching said lever bar in a valve open position and returning said lever bar to a valve closed position as said'lid is moved from a fully open toward a fully closed position, said lever bar bearing engaged by said bearing member for effecting pivotal movement of said bearing member about said pivot support to move said lever bar to a valve-open position on actuation of said ignition wheel, at which position said lever bar becomes latched by said latch means to hold said lever bar in the valve open position until said lid is moved toward a closed position.

4. A gas lighter, comprising, in combination, a casing having an open top, a tank in said casing for containing fuel under pressure, a top wall in said casing, a valve member connected to said tank and projecting through said top wall and operable between a valve open position to allow the fuel in said tank to flow therethrough and a valve closed position to shut 011 the flow of fuel, a bearing member movably mounted above said top wall adjacent said valve member, an ignition wheel rotatably mounted to said bearing member, control means connected to said valve member and movable from a first position to a second position by initial movement of the bearing member on actuation of said ignition wheel to control movement of said valve member from one of said positions to the other of said positions, a lid pivotally connected to said casing to respectively open and close said casing, and means within said lid cooperable with said control means when the lid is moved to close said casing to operate said control means to the first position to correspondingly control movement of said valve member to said one of said positions.

5. A gas lighter, comprising, in combination, a casing having an open top, a tank in said casing for containing fuel under pressure, a top wall in said casing, valve means connected to said tank and projecting through said top wall and being operable between a valve open position to allow the fuel in said tank to flow therethrough and a valve closed position to shut off the flow of fuel; biasing means in said valve means to bias said valve means to the valve open position, a flint tube extending through said top wall adjacent said valve means and being movable in an axial direction, a bracket connected to said flint tube and movable therewith, a flint wheel overlying said flint tube and rotatably mounted to said bracket, biasing means within said flint tube for biasing flint into engagement with said flint wheel, and control means connected to said valve means and operable from a first position wherein said control means latches said valve means in the valve closed position and a second position wherein said control means allows said valve to move to the valve open position, said control means lying in the path of travel of said bracket and adapted to be moved to said second position by axial movement of the flint tube and bracket toward said top wall.

6. A gas lighter as defined in claim and further including a lid pivotally mounted to said casing and operable to respectively open and close said casing, and means in said casing cooperable with said control means when said lid is moved to closed position to move said control means to the first position.

7. A gas lighter as defined in claim 5, wherein said control means comprises a leaf spring pivotally connected at its outer ends, to said top wall, said spring being flexible between an upper convex position and a lower concave position, said spring having an aperture approximately centrally located to receive said valve means therethrough, said first position corresponding to the lower concave position of said spring whereby said spring abuts said valve means and retains said valve means in the valve closed position and the second position corresponding to the upper convex position of said spring whereby said spring permits movement of said valve means to the valve open position.

8. A gas lighter as defined in claim 7, wherein one end of said spring is spaced below and in the path of movement of said bracket and is adapted to be engaged by said bracket to 'be flexed to the upper convex position when said flint Wheel is actuated thereby depressing said bracket.

9. A gas lighter as defined in claim 8, and further including means in said lid engaging the other end of said spring to flex said spring to the lower concave position to move said valve means to the valve closed position when said lid is pivoted toward the closed position.

10. A gas lighter comprising, in combination, a casing having an open top, a tank in said casing for containing fuel under pressure, a top wall in said casing, valve means connected to said tank and projecting through said top wall and being operable between a valve open position to allow the fuel in said tank to flow therethrough and a valve closed position to shut ofl the flow of fuel, biasing means in said valve means for biasing said valve means to the valve closed position, a flint tube movable in an axial direction extending through said top wall adjacent said valve means, a bracket connected to the top of said flint tube and movable therewith, a flint wheel overlying said flint tube and rotatably mounted to said bracket, biasing means within said flint tube for biasing flint into engagement with said flint wheel whereby said flint wheel and bracket are biased away from said top wall, and control means connected to said valve means and operable by the depression of the flint wheel and bracket in the axial direction toward said top wall to move said valve means to the open position.

11. A gas lighter as defined in claim 10, wherein said control means comprises a lever spaced below said bracket and having an aperture adjacent one end thereof for receiving the flint tube therethrough, and means pivotally mounting said lever to said top wall intermediate said valve connnection and said aperture, whereby downward movement of the bracket and flint tube in the axial direction causes the bracket to engage one end of the lever to thereby pivot the lever and raise said valve to the valve open position.

12. A gas lighter as defined in claim 11, and further including latching means adjacent the other end of said lever for latching said lever in position to maintain said valve member in the valve open position after initial depression of said bracket.

13. A gas lighter as defined in claim 12, and further including a lid pivotally mounted to said casing and movable between open and closed positions, and means connected to said lid and said latching means to cause said latching means to release said lever when said lid is moved toward the closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,948 5/54 Gehrie 677.1 2,737,795 3/56 Gruber 67-7'.1 3,063,276 11/62 Cassan 67-7.1 3,092,988 6/63 Meyers 677.1

FOREIGN PATENTS 694,810 7/53 Great Britain.

ROBERT A. OLEARY, Primary Examiner.

EDWARD J. MICHAEL, Examiner. 

1. IN A GAS LIGHTER THE COMBINATION COMPRISING AN OUTER CASING INCORPORTING A FUEL TANK, A LID, MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING SAID LID TO SAID CASING, A FUEL FEEDING VALVE COMMUNICATING WITH AND MOUNTED IN SAID FUEL TANK, A BURNER OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE, A BEARING MEMBER SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID CASING, AN IGNITION WHEEL PIVOTED TO SAID BEARING MEMBER FOR SLIDING ACTUATION OF SAID BEARING MEMBER DURING OPERATION OF SAID IGNITION WHEEL, AND A VALVE OPERATING MEMBER ENGAGING SAID BURNER 